As UD Arena PA announcer Charlie Robinson likes to say before every home game, “It’s time!” After several months of recruiting, summer conditioning, Flyer Madness, gassers, and two tune-ups with Ural Great and AIA Blue, the University of Dayton Flyers are ready to depart the concourse for Flight 99. The Kent State Golden Flashes invade the UD Arena on Saturday, attempting to become the first visiting team of the season to steal a road win on Blackburn Court. A win won’t be easy for either club as opening game jitters and uncertainty prevent most teams from performing like a well-oiled machine in mid-season form. With four starters returning from a 21-12 team, and the luxury of playing in front of 12,000 fans, Dayton is the clear-cut favorite. With only 26 regular season games on the Flyer schedule however, UD must take care of business early and often or risk digging a hole they cannot crawl out of. A convincing win over Kent State is a necessity.

The Golden Flashes return all five starters from a 13-17 team that advanced to the MAC semifinals a year ago. Sophomore Kyrem Massey, 6-6, who earned a place on the MAC All-Freshman team, is a strong scorer who has the size and quickness to create a variety of problems for opposing players. Look for Dayton to put pressure on Massey with double-teams and half-court traps to expose his poor 1:2 turnover ratio. Massey teams with fellow Columbus native John Whorton, a 6-8, 235lb forward/center who shot 56% from the field last season, good enough for third in the MAC. Whorton also chipped in 6.5rpg for an undersized Golden Flashes team that must use agility, depth, and quickness to outwit stronger opponents.

Kent State has the potential to create problems for Dayton if Purnell’s squad becomes impatient and tries for a home run too soon. With UD’s backcourt talent, Purnell is likely to pound the ball inside to establish a frontcourt presence that takes the pressure off Young, Morris, Turner, and Stanley to provide all the answers. Look for EdwinYoung to match up with Ed Norville on the defensive side while Coby Turner puts his size, quickness, and superb defensive abilities to work against the multi-talented Kyrem Massey. Mark Ashman will probably get assigned to John Whorton on the defensive side, but look for Ashman to slide against slender Mike Perry on the offensive side, leaving Stephen Bamigbola a chance to use his muscle against Whorton in the paint when the opportunity arises.